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The Frenchman, who twice finished seventh last time out at Istanbul Park in Turkey, said: "I'm looking forward to the next race in Laguna; I've been there before, but it was just for a holiday. It's a really nice place and very beautiful and feels much different to Europe.

"I don't know much about the track, but it looks great on TV and video games - the Corkscrew looks easy on a video game, but I know it's not!

"I do know it's a bumpy track and not very large or wide, unlike some of the ones we get in Europe," he added.

"I am glad the race has come along quickly because I love to ride and can't wait to get out there. I learned a lot about how the bike behaves in Turkey, so I want to use that data and see how we can improve further.

"I'd like to welcome Blake to the team and wish him all the best for the weekend; hopefully he'll be able to help me with his knowledge of the circuit and if I can help him in any way then I will."

Cluzel is currently in ninth place in the championship standings, 27 points behind Michel Fabrizio in eighth.